September 03, 2014, 4:45AM

After more than two years of pressure from citizen watchdogs, the Jefferson Parish Council finally agreed to restrict its power over no-bid professional services contracts. The revisions fall short of what the Bureau of Governmental Research recommended and what the Jefferson Parish Citizens for Good Government urged the council to adopt. But the ordinance the Parish Council approved last... Full story »

July 01, 2014, 7:21AM

If you're looking for a family friendly place to spend time with your children and that special furry friend, be sure to check out the Little Jefferson Park Playground. Located at 3901 Jefferson Highway in Jefferson, this quaint park offers an environment that's family and pet friendly. Dogs must be on a leash at all times, but they are... Full story »

June 20, 2014, 3:41PM

Metairie Sanctuary on the Lake, the nonprofit group aiming to stave off development of the lakeshore Cenacle property at 5500 St. Mary St. in Metairie, will hold a crawfish boil on Sunday (June 22) at Bay Café, 5036 W Esplanade Ave. in Metairie from 2 to 5 p.m. Hoping to purchase the land and open it to the public... Full story »

June 09, 2014, 7:45AM

He is not perfect Cliff Huxtable, irresponsible Homer Simpson or immature Peter Griffin, but the one thing Jefferson Parish President John Young has in common with all three fictional fathers is the on-the-job training from his children. "All of my sons are stubborn and headstrong," Young said, with a smile. Of all the titles that define Young's long history... Full story »

March 29, 2014, 6:49AM

Our editorial board makes the following recommendations for the April 5 ballot. KENNER MAYOR Mike Yenni As the chief administrative officer for Kenner for three years, Mr. Yenni was well versed in city government when he took over as mayor in 2010. He has put that experience to good use in his first term in office. Faced with declining... Full story »

February 05, 2014, 6:04AM

As the Jefferson Parish hospital lease deal became a bigger and bigger mess over the past six months, a nagging question went unanswered: Does the Parish Council know what it's doing? The definitive answer came Monday from a leading expert in non-profit hospital mergers and acquisitions: No. Nemzoff & Co., which was the only company that replied to the... Full story »

January 01, 2014, 11:54AM

Re: Our year, a look back at 2013, Dec. 29, Page 1. Your top stories of 2013 show an appalling omission. How can this newspaper not recognize the David versus Goliath crusade of regular folks' victorious fight over elected officials' galvanized efforts to renew Crescent City Connec­tion tolls for the next 20 years? An election was overturned and historically... Full story »

December 22, 2013, 4:28PM

The two organizations vying to operate Jefferson Parish's hospitals have histories running successful hospitals. The difference in structure and governance, however, has long-term implications. In the case of Louisiana Children's Medical Center, profits stay in our community and budgets are decided locally by volunteer board members, who utilize the hospitals. In the case of our competitor, HCA, it will... Full story »

November 25, 2013, 8:50AM

The Gretna City Council will hold a public hearing Monday (Nov. 25) as it prepares to implement paid parking in downtown. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, Huey P. Long Avenue and Second Street. SP Plus Municipal Services has been hired to oversee the program, called Park Gretna, which will focus on area bounded by... Full story »

November 22, 2013, 7:30AM

After years of starts and stops, Gretna is crafting a plan to implement paid parking in downtown. And the City Council wants public input as it determines the best way to accommodate the needs of government, businesses and residents. The council will hold a public hearing Monday (Nov. 25) at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, Huey P. Long Avenue... Full story »

November 16, 2013, 9:44AM

Voters across the metro area are heading to the polls today. Voters in Jefferson, Plaquemines, Orleans, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany will cast votes in political races and referendums. The polls close at 8 p.m. In New Orleans, voters will elect a magistrate and traffic court judge, and decide the fate of three referendums - a parcel... Full story »

November 14, 2013, 7:35PM

For anyone trying to park in downtown Gretna to pay a water bill at City Hall or grab lunch at Thanh Thanh restaurant, finding a space on Huey P. Long Avenue is like looking for a needle in a haystack. On weekdays, nearly every spot is occupied, city officials and business owners say, by public employees -- often all... Full story »

November 13, 2013, 5:47PM

Jefferson Parish Inspector General David McClintock completed filling key positions on his staff this month with the addition of a special agent and two auditors. McClintock now supervises seven "core staff" members and will hire an additional administrative aide on a contract basis in coming weeks, he told the Jefferson Parish Ethics and Compliance Commission on Wednesday. Nicholas Hartfield,... Full story »

November 13, 2013, 6:52AM

We make the following recommendations for Saturday's ballot. JEFFERSON PARISH JUDGE, JUVENILE COURT, SECTION C Barron Burmaster Mr. Burmaster has served as a Jefferson Parish prosecutor for more than two decades. He spent 14 years in the office's juvenile division and was deputy chief of the division for a decade. That experience would serve him well in this post.... Full story »

November 06, 2013, 9:49PM

The Jefferson Parish Council on Wednesday rejected proposals from four banks to serve as the parish's fiscal agent, then granted a six-month contract extension for the current fiscal agent, Iberia Bank -- even though Iberia failed to respond to the advertisement for proposals. The other four banks submitted timely responses to the advertisement, which the council authorized in September... Full story »

October 23, 2013, 9:21AM

Re: "HCA is the best choice to run Jefferson hospitals," Opinions, Oct. 13 It has been widely reported that HCA is the choice of Jef­ferson's hospital consultants. Now HCA is the choice of another independent voice, The Times-Picayune. As noted in the editorial, there's a huge difference in proposals. HCA's lease pro­posal amounts to $132 mil­lion more than Louisiana... Full story »

October 11, 2013, 4:00PM

East Jefferson General Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center are Jefferson Parish's most valuable public assets. It is vital that they provide quality care for residents and are financially strong far into the future. So when the Parish Council chooses who should run them for the next 30 years, the decision should be based on who best fulfills those... Full story »

October 08, 2013, 3:03AM

Re: Property tax millage is good for Jefferson, Your Opinions, Sept. 27. This is in response to the letter dated Sept. 27 regarding the millage renewal vote scheduled for Oct. 19. We had a vote on May 4 of this year on this issue and the voters rejected it. Now the powers that be want a do-over because they... Full story »

October 04, 2013, 5:44PM

Harahan Police Chief Mac Dickinson said Friday he is resigning to return to work for the Louisiana State Police. His last day in Harahan is Sunday. He said he will be teaching at the State Police Training Academy in Baton Rouge. "It was a golden opportunity," he said, "and I feel we've got a well run, professional organization." Dickinson... Full story »